Attachment A - FAA Rulemaking NEPA Draft Statement of Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office (AUS)

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Using Special

Airworthiness

A. BACKGROUND

The FAA’s mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. The FAA’s UAS Integration Office (AUS) is responsible for leading FAA’s efforts to safely integrate UAS and advanced air mobility (AAM) operations into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). AUS serves as the FAA’s focal point for all matters related to civil and public use of UAS in U.S. airspace and is responsible for coordinating the integration of UAS and AAM operations into our aviation system. AUS is leading a rulemaking effort for the purpose of enabling certain low altitude UAS operations, while ensuring the safety and efficiency of the United States airspace. It is the next step in incrementally integrating UAS into the NAS, providing for expanded safety, societal, and economic advantages and benefits. Using consensus-based standards, this rulemaking would establish a new section under title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 21 (14 CFR Part 21) describing the regulatory process for issuing special airworthiness certificates for unmanned aircraft (weighing up to 1,320 pounds) as well as the acceptance of their associated elements.

B. PURPOSE

The primary objective of the contract is to provide contractor support to the FAA to assist FAA in complying with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA-implementing regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500–1508), FAA Order 1050.1F, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, and applicable special purpose laws (e.g., Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Department of Transportation Act, etc.)

to address the potential environmental consequences associated with the FAA’s proposed rulemaking.

Contractor shall support the FAA in conducting an environmental review of the FAA’s proposed UAS rulemaking.

Contractor will furnish the personnel, expertise, and materials necessary to provide the FAA with the technical and administrative support and other services as described within this document.

C. CONTRACTOR TASK – NEPA DOCUMENT PREPARATION

Task 1: General Project Management and Coordination

In coordination with the FAA project manager, Contractor will prepare a NEPA project schedule to include the major milestones, tasks, and deliverables described in this section (Section C) and update the schedule as required throughout the duration of the project.

Contractor will support the entire NEPA process (start to finish), including, but no limited to, setting up coordination meetings with stakeholders, as appropriate and needed. In coordination with the FAA project manager, Contractor will develop a communication plan to establish roles and responsibilities and lines of communication.

For the duration of the project, Contractor will submit monthly status reports to the FAA project manager and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Such reports will include current figures for percent of work completed and a brief narrative of the work completed in the prior month.

Contractor will also facilitate monthly (or more frequent, if needed) teleconferences (typically up to one hour) with the FAA project manager to provide an update on project progress.

Contractor will maintain an electronic copy of the Administrative Record for the duration of the project and deliver the Administrative Record to the FAA project manager and COR once the NEPA process is concluded.

Deliverables: Schedule, communication plan, monthly status reports, meeting agendas and meeting notes, Administrative Record (electronic)

Task 2: Kick-off Meeting

Contractor will facilitate a one-hour virtual kickoff meeting with the FAA project manager and support staff. The purpose of this meeting will be to introduce staff, discuss the communication plan, discuss the proposed action and alternatives, and ask questions.

Deliverables: kickoff meeting agenda and meeting notes

Task 3: Scoping Support

If the FAA conducts public scoping, Contractor will support the FAA in holding virtual public scoping meeting(s) (if one or more is held) and prepare a Scoping Summary Report. This task may include preparing meeting materials (e.g., PowerPoint presentation). The report will document the public scoping process, including summarizing all comments received during the public meeting(s) (if one or more is held) and all written comments received during the scoping period. Contractor will provide a draft Scoping Summary Report to the FAA project manager and COR for FAA review and comment. This task may involve multiple versions of the report as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments.

Deliverables: scoping meeting materials, draft and final Scoping Summary Report

Task 4: Interagency Consultation Support

Contractor will support the FAA with all required interagency consultations required by special purpose laws, including, but not limited to, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

For ESA Section 7 consultation, this task includes preparing a draft biological evaluation (BE) for FAA review and comment. This task may involve multiple versions of the draft BE as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments. The FAA will initiate consultation with the regulatory agency. This task may involve assisting the FAA with responding to data requests or questions submitted by the regulatory agency until the consultation process is concluded.

For NHPA Section 106 consultation, this task involves supporting the FAA with complying with 36 CFR Part 800.

Deliverables: BE, associated documentation for Section 106 compliance

Task 5: Preparation of the Draft NEPA Document

Contractor will prepare a draft introduction (including the Purpose & Need) and Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives (DOPAA) and submit to the FAA project manager and COR for FAA review and comment. This task may involve multiple versions of the draft introduction and DOPAA as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments.

Contractor will prepare a preliminary draft NEPA document and submit to the FAA project manager and COR for FAA review and comment. This task may involve multiple versions of the preliminary draft NEPA document as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments. This task does not include conducting a noise analysis or predicting sound levels. The FAA will conduct the noise analysis and submit a noise report to Contractor. Contractor will incorporate the noise report into the preliminary draft NEPA document, including preparing the noise section and referencing predicted sound levels in other applicable sections of the draft NEPA document.

Contractor will submit a draft NEPA document that is ready for publication to the FAA project manager and COR. This task includes ensuring the document is accessible (i.e., compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973).

Contractor will prepare a draft Notice of Availability (NOA) and submit it to the FAA project manager and COR for FAA review and comment. This task may involve multiple versions of the draft NOA as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments. The FAA will arrange for publication of the NOA in the Federal Register.

Deliverables: draft introduction and DOPAA; preliminary and publication-ready draft NEPA document (Microsoft Word and PDF); NOA

Task 6: Public Meeting

If the FAA holds a public meeting(s) during the public comment period for the draft NEPA document, Contractor will support the FAA in holding a virtual public meeting(s). This task may include preparing meeting materials (e.g., PowerPoint presentation).

Deliverables: public meeting materials

Task 7: Preparation of the Final NEPA Document

Contractor will support the FAA in summarizing and responding to public comments received on the draft NEPA document. Contractor will compile and respond to all public comments in the form of a comment and response summary.

Contractor will prepare a preliminary final NEPA document—including revisions, as needed, in response to public comments—and a comment-response summary and submit to the FAA project manager and COR for FAA review and comment. This task may involve multiple versions of the preliminary final NEPA document and comment-response summary as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments.

Contractor will submit a final NEPA document that is ready for publication to the FAA project manager and COR. This task includes ensuring the document is accessible (i.e., compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973).

Contractor will prepare a draft NOA and submit it to the FAA project manager and COR for FAA review. This task may involve multiple versions of the draft NOA as the FAA reviews and Contractor addresses FAA comments. The FAA will arrange for publication of the NOA in the Federal Register.

Deliverables: responses to public comments; preliminary and publication-ready final NEPA document (Microsoft Word and PDF); NOA

D. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The Period of Performance is a 2-year Base and 3 1-year Options.

E. SUMMARY OF DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

As described above in Section C, Contractor must provide the following deliverables to the FAA project manager and COR:

Task Deliverable Due Date

Project schedule 2 weeks after award date Communication plan 3 weeks after award date Monthly status reports Include with monthly invoices Meeting agendas 3 days prior to meeting Meeting notes 1 week after meeting Administrative Record 1 month after NEPA process concludes

2 Kickoff meeting agenda 1 week prior to meeting Kickoff meeting notes 1 week after meeting

Scoping meeting materials (if needed) 3 weeks prior to scoping meeting Draft Scoping Summary Report (if needed) 4 weeks after scoping period concludes Final Scoping Summary Report (if needed) 6 weeks after scoping period concludes

4 Biological Evaluation 4 months after award date Documentation for Section 106 compliance 4 months after award date

Draft Introduction and Description of Proposed Action and Alternatives

1 month after award date

Preliminary draft NEPA document 6–7 months after award date Publication-ready draft NEPA document 7–9 months after award date Notice of Availability 2 weeks prior to publishing draft NEPA document 6 Public meeting materials (if needed) 3 weeks prior to meeting

Responses to public comments 6–8 weeks after public comment period ends

Preliminary final NEPA document 2 months after public comment period ends

Publication-ready final NEPA document 3 months after public comment period ends

Notice of Availability 2 weeks prior to publishing draft NEPA document